'Arsenal broke their promise to me - I had no choice but to leave them for Chelsea' Ashley Cole says he was forced to leave Arsenal in 2006 because the club broke a promise they'd made to him.
When Cole's move to Chelsea was confirmed, Arsenal fans felt betrayed, particularly since the defender was an academy graduate, and seen, by many, as a future captain of the club.
In his autobiography, Cole infamously admitted he was left "trembling with anger" and nearly drove his car off the road after hearing that the Gunners were offering him just £55,000 per week - a figure Chelsea reportedly doubled when they signed him.
In 2005, he met Blues manager Jose Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon in a London hotel without informing Arsenal, prompting a £100,000 fine (later reduced £75,000 on appeal) from the Premier League for attending a 'tapping-up' meeting.
Chelsea were also fined £300,000, and Mourinho was fined £200,000, while Cole's agent, Jonathan Bartlett, had his licence suspended for a year-and-a-half, on top of a £100,000 fine.
